With five months of reports left this year, funds down nearly $2.3 million, compared to total at same point of 2024 fiscal year
For April — the first time since this fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2024 — the Tourist Development Tax — or, “bed tax” — revenue has shown a month-over-month increase.
The new reports released by Sarasota County Tax Collector Mike Moran and his staff note that the revenue collected from hosts of accommodations in April was higher by $426,237.24, or nearly 9.5%, compared to the total for April 2024.
This April, the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenue added up to $4,916,840.69. In April 2024, the total was $4,490,603.45.
With five months left in this fiscal year, the funds are down $2,278,098.67, compared to the figure for the same period of the 2024 fiscal year. Overall, the revenue tally through April was $30,808,913.31, the new reports say.
The initial reports for April 2024 showed the total revenue collected through that month was $32,930,909.98. Thus, the April 2025 figure is approximately 6.5% lower than that April 2024 tally.
The 6% tax is charged on accommodations rented for six months or less time. The use of the funds is governed by a county ordinance. The money is allocated to purposes such as beach maintenance and the upkeep of the county’s two Major League Baseball Spring Training stadiums. A portion of the funds — $20 million — also was dedicated to the construction of the approximately $130-million Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA) between Nathan Benderson Park and the Mall at University Town Center.
Yet another detail in the new reports from the Tax Collector’s Office is the fact that bed tax funds collected by Airbnb hosts through April added up to $4,175,541.15. That is down about 7.4%, compared to the total through April 2024: $4,506,343.01.
Altogether, accommodations rented through online platforms through April of this fiscal year represented 19.3% of the tally, the new reports show. Along with Airbnb, county staff has agreements in place with HomeAway.com and TripAdvisor — and all of their subsidiaries — for their hosts’ TDT revenue to be turned over to the Tax Collector’s Office. Only Airbnb, however, will provide an actual figure each month, as a result of the platforms’ negotiations with the Office of the County Attorney and the Tax Collector’s Office years ago.
Through April 2024, the online platform revenue represented 20.89% of the total.
Another bit of information in the Location report that the Tax Collector’s Office releases each month relates to a years-long competition between Siesta Key and the City of Sarasota. Although the City “won” bragging rights in 2022 and 2023 because its hosts ended up accounting for the highest amount of TDT revenue, Siesta prevailed last year and in many earlier years.
Through April, the city accommodations had provided 25.27% of the revenue. Siesta accounted for 21.88%. Extensive damage to Siesta that was wrought last fall by Hurricanes Helene and Milton have left it farther behind the city so far this fiscal year.
Through April 2024, Siesta hosts had collected 26.87% of the bed tax revenue, while the city’s figure was 25.03%.
Among other information, the new reports also show that the month-over-month deficit originally reported for March has fallen. The initial reports said that the March revenue this year was lower by $878,375.35 than the tally for March 2024. However, the March figure for this fiscal year has dropped to $587,640.62.
March has a long history of being the best month for collections of the Tourist Development Tax. That fact relates to the popularity of the beaches as spring break destinations for college and high school students from a wide array of states. In more recent years, April has proven to be a busier month, especially if Easter falls on one of its Sundays.
In fact, the bed tax revenue for April 2023 exceeded $5 million.
Additionally, the new reports show that the month-over-month drop in collections for February that was reported previously has grown smaller. The prior reports noted that the February tally was down by $365,571.54, compared to the total for February 2024. The new reports put the month-over-month decline at $357,371.12.
Tax Collector’s Office staff has explained that audits and other enforcement action can result in changes in the figures from one month to the next.